10 ideal free agent fits for the Denver Nuggets after the 2024 NBA draft

NBA free agency officially kicks off Sunday night at 6 PM EST (4 PM MDT) as teams are allowed to start meeting with players and negotiating contracts. Nothing can be signed until July 6th, but we get treated to a week of “legal tampering” for lack of a better term.

By now, most people know the routine; 6 PM strikes and we’ll be bombarded with reports of deals being struck and players agreeing to play for new teams. It’s going to be a wild night, and likely a wild few days. The work that front offices put in over the coming week may alter the landscape of the league for years to come.

The Nuggets have their own free agent to worry about, Kentaiovus Caldwell-Pope. But sadly, it sounds like he’s as good as gone barring an 11th-hour agreement. While that is a tough blow, there’s no time for the team to feel bad for themselves.

They need to hit the market aggressively and do their best to replace KCP and fill in the rest of the roster. Granted, that won’t be easy, as even with Caldwell-Pope off the books, Denver has nothing to offer in terms of cap space. They’ll be limited to minimum contracts and perhaps a small taxpayer midlevel exception if they can shed some more money.

Either way, the funds are limited. But that doesn’t mean hope is lost; there are many good players on the market and a number of them will settle for minimum contracts. The Nuggets need to be extremely diligent in targeting free agents they can realistically afford and that can actually come in and help the team on the court.

It’s going to be difficult, but it’s absolutely critical that the Nuggets nail these moves if they want to be able to contend for a title next season. These moves on the margins can make all the difference as we saw this year when the Nuggets didn’t have enough reliable players on their bench.

We’ve already highlighted one potential free agent target in Eric Gordon, who could have a nice role for Denver off the bench and may be at a point where he wants to come chase a ring. That seems like the kind of realistic fit Nuggets fans should be hoping for and expecting. With free agency ramping up in a few hours, here’s a look at 10 other players the Nuggets could target to strengthen their rotation.

No. 10 - Jonas Valanciunas, Center

The Nuggets’ need for a backup center has definitely diminished after drafting DaRon Holmes II out of Dayton. Holmes should step right in as the third big and be able to play the 4 and the 5. But that doesn’t mean the team couldn’t use another big - especially a true center off the bench. Holmes is a bit undersized and besides we know Michael Malone doesn’t love relying on rookies.

Well, Valanciunas would solve all of those problems. He’s a giant bruising center with plenty of NBA experience. JV might be able to get a bigger contract than the Nuggets can afford, but he also may value being in the right spot, having a chance to win, and a chance to contribute.

The Nuggets could offer all of that and it would be great to have an elite rebounder and a guy who can score in the post while Jokic sits. Valanciunas could provide a very different look than what Holmes will bring to the table, but that change of pace could be useful in certain matchups - like say, the Timberwolves.